Monday, May 28, 2012

RotnyVana Vs. KG VonThrock in Bath

Hey all Rotny and Throck here with an Operation Sealion battle report. This will be Rotny's first go at a "live" campaign game. So let's see how it pans out

Rotny's first Sealion game! We're doing a 1500 point fighting withdrawal in Somerset. Rotny's got his Czech Guard tanks with some suspiciously british looking Motostrelkovy. And Throck's got Panthers, Gpz PanzerGrens and Anti-Tank guns to help secure an orderly retreat from the Czech onslaught.

Rotny's Czech Guards

HQ: T-34/85 w/Cupola & Escort 105

Gds Tankovy Co. 1: 5x t-34/85 w/cupola & escorts 500

Gds. Tankovy Co. 2: 5x T-34-85 w/cupola & escorts 500

Motostrelk Company: 2xHMG 14XSMG 1xCMD 1xKomissar

Total: 1460

VonThroks Panzer Grens

HQ: Gpz Panzergrens 2xCmd w/Faust 1x Schrek team 125

Panzer Gren Platoon Left: 6x MG 1xCmd w/faust 230

Panzer Gren Platoon Right: 6x MG 1xCmd w/Faust 230

PAK 40 Plt: 2x PaK 40 105

Panthers: 3x Panther G 560

Heavy AT: 2x 88 PaK 43 with SdKfz 7's 220

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Soviet ready to step off just on the outskirts of Bath

Jerry Dug in, waiting for the assault to come.

UNITS IN RESERVE

Rotny's Czech Guards

VonThroks Panzer Grens

88's are hiding.

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: Seeing his relatively unsupported Panzer Grens on the german right objective I figured I'd go for a refused flant which also keeps me away from the Panthers. Both tankovy companies deployed one behind the other. And I sent the infantry down the middle so they could go either way so they could support if need be or push the center. VonThroks Panzer Grens: I hate tanks. Just straight up hate 'em. And that's why I always invest in shiny new 8.8's. That great German tank killing stand by. I had to deploy first, so I wasn't sure where his tanks were going to go, so I held those bad boys in reserve as my ambush platoon. Otherwise, my thought was to hold the line, especially on my right and center. That left objective on the slope of the hill looked less defensible so I through the Panthers over there hoping... I'm not sure. That they wouldn't die or something.

TURN 1

Ivan steps off from the line, ready to push the Krauts away from Bath.

Suprise! 8.8's pop out and...

Take the devil's due.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: 1xMG Stand

TURN 1 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: Everything started off going according to plan. The Strelks ran up taking cover and getting into a good position without having to commit left or right. The Tanks rolled up, and unleashed killing one dug in PzGren troop. I though "Yeah, I could do this!"VonThroks Panzer Grens: Ok, so now I know where the tanks are, time to bring up the bad boys. Luckily that Panzer Gren troop was secretly hiding an 88 team! Time to do some killin'. I luck out and hit with three shots tanking out 3 T-34's. I take some shots with the PaK 40's and bail one as well. Cowardly Ivan needs to take a test and RUNS! (Rotny: Fearless indeed *facepalm*)Otherwise I hold... until relieved.

TURN 2

Soviets redeploy after the bloodbath on the German right

Germans shuffle about waiting for the next assault.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German Left: 2xSMG stands

Strelk's on German Center/Right: 1xSMG stand

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: 1xMG Stand

TURN 2 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: Well, then there's that. I regroup behind the woods trying to look strategic but really just thinking in my head, what the hell do I do now? Losing a third of my army on turn 1 put a damper on any plans to roll a flank. Moscow will not be happy... Defect?VonThroks Panzer Grens: Things are going well. I killed 500 points worth of tanks in 6 shots. That's a high rate of return in any game. His stelks moved up to the hedge rows and my grens on the right took out two, pinning them. The panthers on my left took out one team from the other strelk company pinning them as well. OKW should be pleased.

TURN 3

Strelks Assault grens on the German Right.

And suffer in a hail of MG-42 fire, getting wiped out.

End of Turn 3

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German Left: 2xSMG stands

Strelk's on German right: DESTROYED

T-34/85 Company: 1xT-34

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: 1xMG Stand

PaK 40's: WITHDRAW

TURN 3 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: INCOMING CARRIER PIGEON FROM HQ: "Meh... Life is Cheap, we make more tank. Just kill Germans." Ok... VonThroks Panzer Grens: So, yeah. He assulted my grens on the right and 25 MG hits later. They were gone. Wow, loves me some half tranks and MG teams. Now it was time to remove... something. I go for the PaK 40's and move the 88's into position. It's really just like the PaK 40's Leveled up and got leet gear. Panthers take some pot shots at the 84's in the town scoring one kill.

TURN 4

Motostrelks move in on the panthers

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German Left: 2xSMG stands

Strelk's on German right: DESTROYED

T-34/85 Company: 3xT-34

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: 1xMG Stand

PaK 40's: WITHDRAW

TURN 4 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: Just... Kill... Germans... Panthers were the only thing I could get to so, go for it! Motostrelks unpin and head towards the Panthers as the 34's take some shots at them. VonThroks Panzer Grens: I'm holding my ground, so I'll try to reduce those tanks some more. Between the Panthers and the 88's I kill 2 more 34's and bail one. Just have to keep holding.

TURN 5

T-34's move over to engage the Panthers and srelks think better of assaulting.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German Left: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German right: DESTROYED

T-34/85 Company: 4xT-34

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: WITHDRAW

PaK 40's: WITHDRAW

TURN 5 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: Strelks move up, ready to assult for the motherland! The T-34's unleash and bail two Panthers. NICE! Some lucky rolling and the strelks might actually get rid of those tanks. I give the order to assault. And my FEARLESS TRAINED heroes of the motherland duly fail their 3+ motivation check. Sigh... I think they actually want to get killed. Now I understand soviet casualties on the eastern front. VonThroks Panzer Grens: Well... that could have been worse. The strelks failed to assault and one of my panthers unbails at the top of the turn, Panzer Gren's on the right move back to the rear in good order. So, I open up and take out two more Strelks with their machine guns forcing them to make a check (CZECH?) and they flee! 88's bag another T-34.

TURN 6

T-34's score a kill on a Panther.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German Left: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German right: DESTROYED

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: WITHDRAW

PaK 40's: WITHDRAW

Panther Plt: 1xPanther G

TURN 6 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: Get in his flank. Kill Panthers. Hey worked last game... VonThroks Panzer Grens: Sure did... He killed one. It's time to remove an objective, I remove the one closest to him and take out a T-34 and bail the commander. 88's suddenly become useless...

TURN 7

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German Left: DESTROYED

Strelk's on German right: DESTROYED

T-34/85 Company: DESTROYED

HQ: TANK DESTROYED STAFF CAPT. JANKO HIDING IN WOODS PLOTTING REVENGE

VonThroks Panzer Grens

Panzer Gren Right: WITHDRAW

PaK 40's: WITHDRAW

TURN 7 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Guards: My HQ doesn't get back in his tank, but does make his Company motivation test. He's hiding behind the tank shooting pistols. Somebody get that guy an order of Lenin!VonThroks Panzer Grens: That crazy Ivan makes 4 epic saves against Panther shots at short range. Sadly, I summarily execute his commander with a well placed 88 shot. Natch.

Rotny: Yeaaaaaahhhhh.... Solution, more tanks! Really that was my impression from the game. The tnak companies were too small and the infantry was useless. So from here on out it's go big or go home with the tank companies. Infantry is good for holding but since my army always attacks "zen screw ze foot sloggers!"
Throck: I think that was the appropriate amount of DAKKA. The 88's are rough to face... if anything I think I could find a better use for the points than the PaK 40's. Maybe some mortars or something similarly costed.

Actually, what was said a bit earlier! Has come to be realised. Both the Black Watch and the 69th Guards Tankovi handed the 417th Finnishgruppen their undershorts over in the largest collective 'wedgie' ever given to any Axis Force, and Saltford is FIRMLY in the hands of the allies. A whopping 3 - 1 victory to the Allies. That will be entered in a bit later! BUT if I were Von Throck, I'd be worried.. VERY MUCH SO, INDEED!

Unsubstantiated rumours abound as fighting erupts close to Chippenham! According to reports from the Birimingham Mail.. A strong force of Axis Forces were interdicted from heading for Devizes in Wiltshire. By a strong force of Russian infantry and tanks, also supported by the Royal Artillery 83rd Anti-Aircraft battery at Pewsey, also in Wiltshire! This latest outcrop of fighting comes at the time when General Patton is rampaging towards Wiltshire. There is also a report that the Air Forces of the Axis had a raid disrupted on Pewsey as well! By 6 P47-D fighter bombers of the USAF. This is Donald Wyatt reporting on BBC Radio - Midlands!

It's a well known fact that our allies can be - a little bit - accident prone from time to time! And that was true of General Patton on his way to his win over the Axis Forces in Buckinghamshire! Middle Wallop is likely to go down in the history of these Isles as he halted - and ended up, slap-bang in the middle of a skirmish between the Tiger 1E's of the 506th Schwere, and the M18/3" Hellcats of Claymore Company of the Black Watch.. One of our M18's - Claymore 7 - missed it's intended target, but clobbered a huge silage tank full to the brim of Horse and Cow Liquidised effluent! And as the lot cascaded down - right on top of Patton in his A-20 Utility trnasport. Patton was particularly colourful but on spotting journalists from 'Stars'n'Stripes' quickly ordered a very hasty retreat. One thing's for sure. Patton will NOT be smelling of roses on THIS occasion! The Company Commander of Claymore was alledged to have said. "Well, that gets him oot o' our way, fer a while; At least! At least we can get on with the war, withoot 'im!"

Ach! I had heard that Patton was not very hygenic! Comes as little surprise to myself! As Brigat'Commandant of the 417th Finnishgruppen! Our Bath Trucks go with us. In case of "Mishaps" that happen on the battlefield! Clean and tidy soldiers are efficient soldiers..!

Since last time - the Black Watch Tank Destroyer Companies have been busy at a tiny village called Queen Charlton - Between Bristol and Keynsham - and although a battle formation belonging to a Obersteleutnant Ludvig Tottenhauffen were engaged in an action, best described as a 'diversionary feint' The M18/3" Hellcats TD's have suffered some fairly heavy losses, but the Kampfengruppen Tottenhauffen have also taken losses, losing 6 Hellcats, the unit at Queen Charlton lost 3 Stug G's and 6 Sd/Kfz 231 (6 Rad) armoured cars. The victory was that of the Axis, but a hollow one! Maybe Patton will now think better of the Black Watch Hellcats, somehow! I doubt it..

Must report - Chickerell had been taken by the Axis! Allied Forces now retreating to Dorchester. Also: good news - The American 37th Tank Bat has taken Devizes! And bad news! Wootton Bassett and Chippenham remains in Axis hands.